1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) trailer. More specifically, it relates to a convertible trailer and storage basket. The basket can be removably secured to a rack on the front of an ATV, where it holds loose items, spare parts, medicine kits, and the like. An axle and pair of wheels are included and may be added to the basket to form a trailer that is towed behind the ATV. The device will be appreciated by sportsmen, emergency medical staff. Farmers and any others who need to haul equipment across uneven or unpaved terrain.
Trailers are mobile storage containers that are towed by a lead vehicle to which the trailer attaches. They are used to carry items that don't fit within or may damage the lead vehicle. Size and construction of trailers varies according to their intended use and style of towing vehicle. Some trailers are towed by automobiles on paved roads and have large storage capacities due to the relative ease of towage. Other trailers are pulled by all-terrain vehicles, tractors, snowmobiles, and the like. These trailers must be low to the ground and have reduced carrying capacity because they must travel over uneven ground.
Traversing unpaved terrain can be difficult and often requires specialized equipment. All-terrain vehicles (ATVs) are similar to motorcycles but have three to four large wheels. The size and flexibility of the wheels enables them to overcome obstacles that would stymie most automobiles. Snowmobiles are similar to ATVs but have large ski-like feet rather than flexible tires. Both of these vehicles are ideal for transportation and hauling in unpaved or uneven areas.
As mentioned above, trailers intended for all terrain use will have a different structure than those intended for highway use. The trailer must be lightweight to reduce strain on the lead vehicle, which must pull the trailer over obstacles. It must have a strong durable construction capable of holding tool chests, game animals, sports equipment, and the like. The trailer should preferably have a stowed configuration that can be secured to the ATV body, when hauling is not needed. A single user should be able to manipulate the configuration of the trailer without the need for extraneous tools. A lightweight, collapsible trailer that can be attached to an ATV as a storage basket when not used for hauling is needed.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The present invention provides a storage basket that converts to a lightweight trailer for all terrain use. It is a rectangular basket with a storage compartment in the bottom that contains two wheels and an axle. The axle may also be stored within an axle bracket disposed on the underside of the basket. A false bottom may be included to cover the tire storage compartment and facilitate hauling of items that need to lay flat. Fasteners are included for securing the basket to the hood or storage rack of an ATV, trailer or snowmobile, so that the basket can be used as a container when hauling is not needed. The prior art devices do not teach these structural elements.
Collapsible trailers are often used for infrequent hauling or hauling over uneven terrain, because the trailer can easily be stowed between uses. Trailers that fold in half are beneficial to users who need as much space as possible, because these trailers generally fold into a generally planar shape. Spainhower, U.S. Pat. No. 7,540,528 discloses a trailer having a front and back deck portion. A hinge joint separates the two decks, permitting the trailer to fold in half for easy storage. One portion has an axle and two wheels. While the other portion has a linkage structure that removably connects to the trailer to a lead vehicle. A similar device is disclosed by Fahrbach, U.S. Pat. No. 7,891,697. The Fahrbach trailer has a tri-portion trailer be, in which the portions fold together, relative to the central portion. Wheels are secured to the central portion, thus the front and back portions collapse on the wheel bearing portion. Neither Spainhower nor the Fahrbach device teach a basket body with upstanding walls, removable wheels, and a storage cavity for storing the wheels, They are not useful for storing or carrying items when the trailer is in a stowed state. Conversely, the present invention is a storage container with removable wheels that are stowed within the container when it is not in use as a trailer.
Another type of collapsible trailer utilizes removable or foldable sidewalls to re create a stowed state of reduced size for the deployed state. James, U.S. Pat. No. 7,055,848 teaches an ATV trailer that has a collapsible front wall and a small rear wall. Like the Fahrbach device, the James trailer has a tri-portion bed. The front portion hingeably connects to the center portion and folds over top of same, while the back portion is hingeably connected to the center portion and folds underneath the center portion. The front wall collapses for easy storage. The front portion forms an upstanding forward wall when deployed. A shorter, read wall is secured to the back of the pack portion. In its stowed state, the trailer is compacted and affixed to the rear of an ATV with the trailer wheels in a generally vertical alignment. This state is helpful for transporting the trailer but does not permit carrying of other items in the trailer while in transport. The present invention has a basket body that is affixable to the front of a lead vehicle, so that loose items may be carried therein, while the trailer is stowed.
Carts and trailers that do not offer any collapsible properties are also known in the art of off-road hauling devices. Some carts provide small sidewalls surrounding the trailer bed perimeter, for preventing objects from falling off the bed. Others have load bearing sidewalls that permit larger objects to be held within or on the trailer. Examples of non-collapsible trailers are taught by Stamps, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20090232633 and Kitrell, U.S. Pat. No. 7,997,605. Both of these devices disclose a basket style trailer body with one or more sets of wheels and a hitch linkage assembly extending from one side of the trailer. Like other trailers, these devices do not offer removable wheels that can be securely stowed within a predetermined space in the trailer. The present invention provides the features to permit use of the trailer as a storage container when the wheels are detached.
These prior art devices have several known drawbacks. It does not disclose a basket style trailer that has removable wheels and axle. Further, it does not disclose a storage cavity or set of securing brackets for securely stowing trailer tires. The present invention has removable tires that may be stored within the basket. It is affixable to the hood of a lead vehicle, facilitating use as a storage basket, when stowed. It substantially diverges in design elements from the prior art and consequently it is clear that there is a need in the art for an improvement to existing all-terrain trailer devices. In this regard the instant invention substantially fulfills these needs.